i like being by myself with my to vidios and my insta graam and tiktok. I don't need people as much as may be other people did in the past. i think that people feel comfortable doing things on their own and being alone. And this, this isn't about trying to stop that. This is about acknowledging that there's something else going on,. which is an increasing number of people who won't feel connected, and not having that feeling of connection.
Author and economist Noreena Hertz of University College London talks about her book, The Lonely Century, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Hertz blames social media and the individualist, pro-capitalism worldviews of leaders like Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan for the rise in loneliness in the developed world. Russ suggests some alternative causes. The result is a lively conversation about understanding and explaining social trends.